The Meeting
by Blurredpaw
Summary: Cloudtail goes on a hunting patrol on his own and finds a she-cat he didn't bargain on meeting. Intended to be a oneshot, but I'm writing a sequel :D COMPLETE!


A fluffy white tom padded along the side of the Twoleg fence, trying to stay as close as possible, so that he might appear like a smudge of snow on the fence. It was easier for the tom to hunt for his Clan at this time of year, which he called leaf-bare. Snow crunched under his paws, and he was instantly reminded of that cold day when he was taken from the sanctuary of his home and mother to come live with ThunderClan and his uncle, Fireheart, the Clan's deputy._ I'd never regret his decision to take me. But I might regret it now that Bright-no, _Lostface _now, was mauled by the dogs. And that Bluestar gave her the cruellest name I could ever imagine. If my name isn't Cloudtail, I'll get her name back for her. _

Cloudtail liked the cheery she-cat more than he let on. Before Lostface had been mauled by the dogs, her name had been Brightpaw. She had gone with Swiftpaw to try and kill the dogs that were lingering in ThunderClan's territory, but ended up with mortal wounds to her face. Swiftpaw had died before the patrol send to find her had completed their job; Cloudtail was the one to discover that Lostface had still been alive. He liked to think that he was the one that kept her holding on, although somehow he doubted that Lostface would have the same appreciation for him that he did for her.

Cloudtail was then reminded of how Bluestar had given Lostface her warrior ceremony, despite the fact she would probably not live. Bluestar had and still was in a fit of depression, and seemed to think that StarClan had turned against her. It was a dark time for ThunderClan, and it was a perfect opportunity for the other Clans to attack. Cloudtail wondered why they hadn't.

Cloudtail was dragged back to the present when he saw a snowy-white shape scuttle away form the sanctuary of their leaf and try to hide behind a log. The squirrel covered with snow was killed quickly and buried under snow and dirt. Cloudtail bowed his head for the dead prey, giving thanks to StarClan.

A new voice almost made him jump out of his fur. "What are you doing?"

Cloudtail whipped around. Instead of seeing plain old fence, he saw a pretty black she-cat with a white front right paw. Her eyes were a brilliant midnight–blue. Cloudtail had never seen another she-cat so pretty, except maybe in Lostface before she was mauled.

Cloudtail knew he couldn't ask her to get off of ThunderClan territory. StarClan forbid, she'd probably say, "But I live here!" or something equally dumb to say. Or maybe he thought the she-cat was all too familiar to be chased off like a common mouse. He blanked curiously. "Who are you?"

"I asked my question first," the she-cat replied smugly. There was a certain gleam in her eye that made Cloudtail nervous. Who was this cat? Why was he getting this creepy feeling, of de ja vu, that he knew this strange cat?

"Fine. I'm _hunting_," he growled. "Now who are you?"

"I'm Ebony," the she-cat replied. "Nice to meet you."

Cloudtail looked her over. She had fine muscles and would probably work well in a Clan. But did she want to? That was the real question.

"Hi, Ebony," Cloudtail replied. "I'm Cloudtail." They stood there awkwardly for a moment, not knowing what to say. Ebony blinked a few times at Cloudtail.

"Do I know you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Do I know you?" Cloudtail countered. "I'm getting the feeling too. I must have seen you around here and you must have seen me. But anyway, this is ThunderClan territory. Try to keep off it, especially if you see others that aren't me. Understand?"

Ebony appeared surprised for a few fleeting moments, but then her usual casual expression returned to her face. "No sweat," she mewed. "I get it." She waved her tail in good-bye and turned around, jumping onto the Twoleg fence and disappearing in a heartbeat.

Cloudtail blinked as her panther-like fur disappeared from view over the edge. A new thought crept into his mind, one that he had thought about before, and had wondered enough about it that he had tried it out. _There are two worlds in the way of cats. One is with Twolegs, the pampered life. And the other is in the wild, where great cats once lived and still do. I just wish I knew where I've seen that darn cat before! _He knew deeply in his heart that he knew her closely from somewhere. But where?

_The light brown tabby she-cat holds a small, pure white kit in her jaws, her belly still slightly swollen from her recent kitting a day ago. The cat looks at another cat, a tom with a pelt like a bright, burning flame. "I have brought him for you, Fireheart," she mewed softly. "Take him back to the Clan with you so that he can be your new apprentice._

_Fireheart-the ginger tom-seems shocked._

_"I never expected..." he trails off._

_"This kit is my firstborn, and I want to make sure that I know where he goes," the she-cat mews, lifting her chin defiantly. "Take him. I'll always remember him in my heart."_

_Fireheart slowly takes the kit. "Thank you, Princess."_

_"I thought that if you had another cat that shared your blood," Princess mews affectionately to her brother, "you wouldn't be so lonely.'_

_"But Princess..."_

_"Trust me Fireheart; I really want this for him. I may not understand the ways of a Clan, but I do understand that you were upset about Cinderpaw, and I know you'll be glad to have this cat as your kin and a loyal warrior."_

_Fireheart nods slowly, the kit sagging a bit. "What is their name?"_

_"He's a he," Princess mews, gazing at her firstborn, "and their name is Cloud." Her eyes shine. "Who knows, maybe he'll even become the next leader and get nine lives!"_

_Fireheart dips his head in respect for his sister, and then bounds off._

_"Stay safe!" Princess calls, but she doubted that he had heard her. She stumbles away to her house, already hearing the squeal of her kits in her mind._

Cloudtail awoke with a gasp. He had been dreaming the day he had been handed over to Fireheart by Princess, his birth mother! He looked around the warriors den and saw that the other cats were all sleeping fitfully. He didn't want to disturb them, but he knew that he must see Ebony; he knew who she was now!

Cloudtail slowly padded out of the warriors den and out of camp; his quiet walk changed into powerful, leaping strides that carried him far across ThunderClan terrain. How he loved having strong legs! And how he loved ThunderClan, the Clan he had been raised in. Would Ebony feel the same desire for the wild, for the freedom that only living a Clan could give you, like Cloudtail did? He needed to know.

At last he arrived at the Twoleg fence where he saw Ebony. He saw her eyes first. Their electric blue sheen stuck out in the dark. If he wasn't prepared, he would have jumped out of his fur.

"E-E-Ebony?" he stammered.

There was a long pause. Then, "Brother?"

"Sister!" Cloudtail cried. Ebony jumped down from the fence. Cloudtail could imagine his sister's powerful body slinking down effortlessly.

"I remembered after you came, but I took heed of your warning." Ebony spoke softly, advancing toward him. She licked his shoulder and wrapped her tail around his. "It had been so long."

"I can barely remember you. I remembered you only by scent, and even then I had to dream about the day I was handed over..."

"You were what?" Ebony was thoroughly confused.

"Let me explain," Cloudtail sighed. He delved into the story of how Fireheart's apprentice, Cinderpaw, had been crippled by a monster. Of course, then Ebony had asked who Fireheart was, and what apprentices were. He had to keep pausing to allow Ebony to ask seemingly endless questions. It must have taken a good two hours.

After he had finished, Ebony nodded. "I can understand. My-I mean, one of _our _brothers died of a lump in his head that caused him great pain. His name was Ace. I will never forget him."

_I will never forget you, dear brother Ace, _Cloudtail thought. "I never knew him. I am saddened by this."

"He died bravely," Ebony assured him. "Fighting the illness while he could."

She said nothing more. The close press of their bodies was enough to lull them to sleep.

It was an hour or two before Cloudtail woke. There was a very faint trail of sunshine coming from the horizon, but it was still dark. Ebony was nowhere to be seen. _Must have gone inside. _Cloudtail bounded on home, unaware of Ebony looking at him until he disappeared.

Cloudtail awoke in the warriors den in the morning. It must have been well past dawn, maybe even past sunhigh. _Why hasn't anyone woke me up? _A thought raced into his mind. _I gotta go see Lostface._

Bounding away out of the den and into the medicine den, he saw Lostface sitting upright despite her badly scarred face. Cinderpelt was hunched over what appeared to be poppy seeds, spreading them out onto the floor of the den with her paw.

"Hi Lostface," Cloudtail mewed softly, making sure to pad over to her on her good eye's side.

"Hi," she whispered. Cloudtail could scarcely hear her.

_Can I trust her not to tell?_

Cinderpelt seemed to read Cloudtail's mind. "You two stay in there while I get some fresh poppy seeds," she mewed, dipping her head to Cloudtail. "We're running low." Cloudtail could see that there were plenty of poppy seeds in the den, but Cinderpelt had used Lostface's injuries to her own benefit. It angered Cloudtail. _Even if it's for this, it's not fair to use her, to treat her like she's nothing. He has a heart and soul too!_

"Cloudtail?" Lostface mewed tentatively. "I can tell that something's wrong."

Cloudtail hesitated. She would only be mad at him if he didn't tell her. "You know my mother is a kittypet," he mewed quietly. "Does that make me any more useless than I am now?"

"Cloudtail!" Lostface sounded shock, and her face was a picture of astonishment. "You're not useless..."

"I feel like I am..." Cloudtail sighed. "Listen...I went out hunting yesterday...and I met this cat..."

"And?"

"And I didn't know who she was, but then I remembered her...She was my sister."

Lostface stared at him with her good eye. "Huh? Your _sister_?"

Cloudtail nodded. "I just don't know whether I'm good enough for this Clan...should I go back to my sister? Already one has died, my brother Ace. I never knew him, and I want to know everyone I should."

Lostface stared back at him stubbornly. "Wherever you go, I follow. I'll stay with you. You're the kindest cat I know here. Please don't leave. You're a great asset to the Clan!" She droned on a bit more, but Cloudtail thought that the first two sentences were enough.

"I'll stay," he mewed, giving her a lick on the shoulder. "For you. But I will see my sister sometimes."

"As long as you stay," Lostface mewed, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her mangled face.

Cloudtail dipped his head and padded out of the den. Cinderpelt padded through the camp entrance with not poppy seeds but chervil. Cloudtail gave her a death glare and padded out of camp to see his sister.

"Ebony? Ebony...? Where are you?" Cloudtail hissed.

"Cloudtail?" came a low mutter from the other side of the fence. "You'll have to come around here, over the fence. I can't be seen out there. I was caught by your Clan yesterday."

Alarm spread through Cloudtail. Would they scent him here? He shook the thought away, looked around and jumped hastily over the fence.

Ebony was there, waiting for him. "Hi!" She blinked warmly at him. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too." They nuzzled each other.

"So, what have you been up to?" Ebony asked him.

"Oh, just hunting, training, sleeping, the usual."

"All Princess does is sleep these days. We're all around this neighbourhood, but I remained with my mother. Our sister Jackie was adopted by a nice elderly couple on the other edge of the place-" she flicked her tail vaguely behind her- "and our brother Owl lives quite near her."

Cloudtail nodded. "I have to go," he mewed. "I feel like I'm betraying my Clan by being here."

Ebony's eyes hardened. "Why do you stick with them anyway?" she asked. "They sound strict and mean."

Cloudtail rolled his eyes. "Clans aren't like that. Kittypets just don't understand."

"Oh, so I'm a kittypet too?" Ebony challenged him.

"Any cat that lives with Twolegs is classified as a kittypet," Cloudtail mewed.

Ebony turned away. "Why can't you just stay?" she growled. "I can never visit my siblings because my housefolk don't let me, and I'm always kept in a separate room from Princess." She lashed her tail angrily. "Just-just go. I do understand. But I'll never forget you, Cloudtail. Don't forget me." She padded away into her house, never looking back.

"I won't forget you, Ebony!" he called to her. "I'll come back to visit you someday!"

Ebony turned around, beautiful blue eyes softening just a little. She nodded a tiny nod, then turned back and disappeared.

"Never..." he mewed. He jumped over the fence sorrowfully and padded back on home.

_I'll never forget you. I promise. _


End file.
